Immediate effect of vagotomy on pancreatic insulin secretion

Article Abstract:

Total gastrectomy, or removal of the stomach, is a surgical procedure performed for a variety of disease conditions. Complications that frequently occur following gastrectomy are thought to result, at least in part, from abnormal carbohydrate absorption and metabolism. Animal studies indicate that the vagus nerve has important stimulatory effects on the secretion of insulin (the major hormone involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates). Some of the alterations in glucose handling seen in gastrectomy patients may result from damage to the vagus nerve during surgery. To evaluate this theory, glucagon-stimulated insulin secretion was measured in 11 patients with total gastrectomy and intact vagus nerves, and in 10 patients with total gastrectomy and total subdiaphragmatic vagotomy (severing all branches of the vagus nerve below the diaphragm). Glucagon-stimulated insulin response was measured twice in each subject at the time of surgery; once following induction of anesthesia before any resection had occurred, and 60 to 90 minutes later, when either gastrectomy or gastrectomy plus vagotomy had been accomplished. Patients with gastrectomy alone showed a 48 percent increase in C-peptide (an insulin precursor) concentration; vagotomized patients showed only a 13 percent increase. These results indicate that some of the abnormalities found in gastrectomy patients in whom the vagus nerve has been compromised (either intentionally or unintentionally) may result from damage to this nerve. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Surgery, Vagus nerve, Pancreatic beta cells, Gastrectomy, Vagotomy

---

Pancreatic function in Crohn's disease

Article Abstract:

Crohn's disease is a painful inflammatory disorder of the ileum, a segment of the intestine. It can lead to malabsorption of nutrients, and if the ileum perforates, the condition can be fatal. It has been reported that patients with Crohn's disease also suffer from exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (failure to produce sufficient digestive enzymes). However, it is not known whether this is a primary effect, or simply a result of protein deficiency secondary to the malabsorption. To investigate pancreatic function in individuals with Crohn's disease, a study was done with 143 patients with this condition, and with 115 normal control subjects. After an overnight fast, a standardized test meal was given, and the contents of the duodenum (the upper part of the intestine, into which pancreatic enzymes are secreted) were aspirated and levels of amylase (a starch-digesting enzyme) and lipase (a fat-digesting enzyme) were measured. Crohn's disease patients had significantly lowered levels of both these enzymes. The magnitude of the lowering was not related to the duration of the disease, but it was related to the area of the intestine affected. Patients with inflammation of the terminal, or most distant, portion of the ileum had the lowest enzyme levels. In the overall population, there was no correlation between severity of the disease and enzyme levels, but in the group with terminal ileus inflammation, these two variables were correlated. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Causes of, Control, Crohn's disease, Digestive enzymes, Pancreatic insufficiency

---

Ethanol in pancreatic juice after oral and intravenous administration

Article Abstract:

Ethanol, the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, has poorly understood effects on the functioning of the pancreas. Alterations in secretory patterns of the pancreas correlate well with microscopic changes in the structure of this organ that may accompany chronic alcoholism. Animal experiments have indicated that ethanol infused into the stomach or intestines may be secreted into the pancreatic juice (the mixture of water, electrolytes, and enzymes secreted by the pancreas to facilitate digestion), and it has been suggested that the presence of ethanol in pancreatic juice may be one of the contributing factors in the development of pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas). To investigate the effect of orally and intravenously administered ethanol on pancreatic function, a study was done with six male patients who had received pancreatic fistulas (tubes) in the course of surgical treatment for cancer. Ethanol was given orally or intravenously, and measured in the blood and pancreatic juice over a three-hour period. After oral administration, ethanol concentrations in the pancreatic juice exceeded those in the bloodstream for a short period of time. Following intravenous administration of ethanol, a similar pattern was observed. Although these results are only strictly applicable to patients with pancreatic cancer, there is a strong likelihood that similar effects would be seen in normal volunteers. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Analysis, Evaluation, Alcohol, Ethanol, Pancreatitis, Blood alcohol, Pancreatic secretions

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: Effects of obesity on aerobic fitness in adolescent females. Body image and eating behavior in adolescent boys
• Abstracts: Effect of long-term triphasic oral contraceptive use on glucose tolerance and insulin secretion
• Abstracts: International differences in the use of obstetric interventions. Crack cocaine and cocaine hydrochloride: are the differences myth or reality?
• Abstracts: Clinical significance of nuclear DNA content in pancreatic carcinoma. KI-ras oncogene mutations in non-HPV-associated anal carcinoma
• Abstracts: Invasive candida infections: evolution of a fungal pathogen

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.